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<title>Running Out Of Time by Medilia</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26801449">Running Out Of Time</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Medilia/pseuds/Medilia'>Medilia</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Whumptober 2020 [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Compilation of Final Fantasy VII</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Gen, Whump, Whumptober</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 07:47:28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>489</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26801449</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Medilia/pseuds/Medilia</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Rufus is trapped in the wreckage of Shinra Tower</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Whumptober 2020 [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1946995</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Whumptober 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Running Out Of Time</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Day 4: #Whumptober2020<br/>Prompt: Running Out Of Time - Collapsed Building</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Since he was young, Rufus felt he was carrying the weight of the company, now it felt like he was carrying the weight of the tower. He supposed he was, quite literally. Diamond Weapon’s attack had destroyed Shinra tower. Rufus was certain that he was going to die too. But here he was, conscious and buried beneath the rubble of his kingdom. </p><p>A large slap of concrete was pressing down on Rufus’ chest making it difficult for him to breathe. Despite the pain he was in, Rufus tried to wriggle free, but it was no use, he was trapped. </p><p>“Fuck,” Rufus whispered, Midgar was in shambles and he presumed that with METEOR being so close, most people had focused on that now. He wondered if there was anyone looking for him or any other survivors. Maybe he was presumed dead, it was the logical assumption to make. He had been at the top of the tower when Diamond weapon had struck, he should be dead. </p><p>Summoning what little strength he had, Rufus tried to push away the smaller bits of concrete that were around him. Perhaps he could create enough space so that he could escape. Looking around, it appeared that he was in the offices on the fiftieth floor, it was certainly not where he expected to end up and he had to wonder how he had survived the twenty storey fall. That was a mystery for another time. It did not matter how he had survived the diamond weapon attack, what mattered was Rufus had survived and he needed to keep surviving.</p><p>Time was meaningless to Rufus as he worked on getting himself free, he could have been there for minutes or hours and he would not have known. At one time, Rufus thought that he could hear voices, he called out to them, called for help, but no one came. He was left to wonder if the voices were real or in his head.</p><p>Determined not to die in the wreckage, Rufus wriggled and pushed at the debris, but he could not get himself free no matter how hard he tried. Finally, exhaustion won and Rufus was left lying among the rubble broken and defeated. Rufus began to wonder if dying in the explosion was a kinder fate then being left in the wreckage of the building to die slowly. </p><p>Rufus wondered what his father would say if he could see this. He certainly could note berate Rufus for being weak. He had stood fearlessly before the Diamond Weapon as it approached Midgar with the clear intention of destroying the city and Shinra. The destruction of Shinra had been a popular wish of late, it seemed now that the universe had granted it. </p><p>“Well, not entirely,” Rufus muttered, he was still alive and so long as he was, Shinra lived too. </p><p>After some time, Rufus began once again to try and wriggle free of his confines.</p>
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